Environment

A 10-foot albino python discovered in Land Between the Lakes Wednesday is the latest in the growing problem abandoned pets pose to public parks. LBL's Denise Scmittou says abandoned animals are a burden to LBL staff who must capture the animals and find a suitable shelter. Abandonment is also hard on the animals, who often lack the skills to survive in the wild. She says people unable to take care of their animals have plenty of options other than abandonment.

Madisonville residents may soon taste the benefits of a new city waste water treatment system. An ultraviolet disinfection system is one of the newest projects proposed for Madisonville’s upcoming budget. City officials say the bacteria levels in treated water have gone above state standards in the past. The Madisonville Messenger reports the existing waste water treatment plant was built in 1995. The city pays $90,000 a year for its upkeep. City officials have scheduled more hearings today on the issue.

The Department of Energy and EPA have approved a cleanup plan for contaminated groundwater at Paducah’s Gaseous Diffusion Plant. LATA Environmental Services of Kentucky will start field work in the summer of 2013 to cleanup a hazardous chemical called TCE. The chemical in the soil likely came from storm drains and spills at the plant’s loading docks. According to the DOE, the contamination is currently confined to the plant’s property and poses no threat to residents.

Contractors for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will restrict travel on the US 60 Tennessee River Bridge at Ledbetter to a single lane this morning. Drivers can expect one-lane traffic with alternating traffic flow from 9 a.m. to about 6 this evening. Travel delays should be minimal. The restriction will allow contractors to deliver concrete as part of ongoing work on one of the bridge piers.

The Kentucky state capitol will turn off unnecessary lights tomorrow night as part of International Earth Hour. This is the fourth consecutive year the capitol has participated in the event sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation. Officials say this is part a comprehensive plan to reduce energy consumption in state buildings by 15% in the next three years and 25% by 2025.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer issued a warning today that weather conditions are ripe for an outbreak of West Nile Virus. And he says horse owners should consult their veterinarians about vaccinating their horses against the disease. West Nile is spread by mosquitoes, and mosquitoes thrive in the warm, wet conditions the state has experienced in the last few weeks. Officials say no horse in Kentucky that has undergone a full West Nile vaccination regimen is known to have contracted the virus since 2003.

For most of American history, early spring meant a feast of shad. That tradition has faded, but young chefs are trying to slip the ritual back onto plates.

The earliest Americans from from Florida to Nova Scotia caught shad by the basketful as they swam back from the sea to spawn in their home rivers. The fresh, silvery fish was most certainly a delight after winter's dreary fare. The American shad's Latin name is clue to its allure: Alosasapadissima, or most delicious herring.

Top managers at the Tennessee Valley Authority now make more than members of Congress, who are paid $174,000 annually. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports TVA is paying out nearly $30 million a year more for 155 of its top leaders since Congress removed salary limits at the federal utility in 2004. Former TVA Director Skila Harris said the changes have helped the utility hire qualified workers, plant managers, technicians and executives.

The Earth’s ecosystems operate on a fragile balance between soil, water and wildlife. In the early 20th century, a local drainage district upset this balance when it straightened and widened a Hickman County stream. It hoped to drain the land to add farmable soil to the area, but the stream clogged and farmers wound up with more water instead of less.